American GM Fabiano Caruana discussed chess support in the United States in an interview with the newspaper Ziarul Financiar. Caruana states that the U.S. government does not support national chess, mentions the contribution of the Saint Louis Chess Club, and notes the successes of Uzbek and Indian chess players.

Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana

American GM

“The government and companies should invest in chess—it’s very beneficial.

But in the US, the situation is a little different… The government is not involved in chess development, so we rely on companies and private sponsors, such as the Saint Louis Chess Club. In European countries, the situation is better — governments are more involved.

If you look at countries that have made the most progress over the past two decades, such as Uzbekistan and India, these are precisely the places where governments have invested a lot of effort and resources in chess. And the results are clear.

Uzbekistan, although not a large country, is capable of producing some of the best players in the world.”

The Saint Louis Chess Club is a premier non-profit organization in Missouri founded in 2008. It supports American chess by hosting elite tournaments such as the U.S. Championship, the Sinquefield Cup, and others, creating school programs in local schools, and promoting chess education for all ages.

Credit: Yoav Nisenbaum / FIDE